DAP's changes give Umno confidence to cooperate in the PH-BN coalition - Saarani
SHAHRIZAL AHMAD ZAINI
JOHOR BAHRU - The changes shown by DAP give enough confidence to Umno to accept and cooperate with the party in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.
Umno Supreme Working Council member Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said that the matter regarding Clause 153 of the Constitution had been discussed and agreed upon before the formation of the unity government.
He said that the matter was also acknowledged by DAP Secretary-General Anthony Loke and DAP National Organisation Secretary Steven Sim in their series of speeches during the last state election.
"All this time what has haunted Umno's relationship with DAP is that in the past the party was said to be not very friendly with the struggle of the Malays and it was said that DAP was against the special rights of the Malays, disagreed with Islam as the official religion of the Federation, but that was before.
"Before the formation of the unity government, there was a discussion and agreement with DAP beforehand that they would no longer bring up the issue of Article 153 of the Constitution related to the special rights of the Malays, Islam as the federal religion and complying with the Malaysian Constitution.
"That is enough to show that DAP has now changed and along with Umno's direction which has been supporting the Malaysian Constitution," he said.
Saarani said this at a press conference after inaugurating the Johor Umno Current Issues Question and Answer programme, here, Thursday night.
Also present were Johor Umno Secretary, Datuk Abdul Halim Suleiman and Johor Umno Head of Information, Datuk Jais Sarday.
Meanwhile, Saarani said, at the moment, there was no problem for Umno, especially the Malays, to accept and cooperate with DAP.
However, he said, the matter would receive various opposition from those who want to see a split between the two parties.
"Now there is no more problem (for the Malays to accept DAP)...only of course there is slander or incitement made by the opposition to divide the unity between Umno and DAP which is part of this PH-BN coalition," he said.
